A principal function of the adhesive coating on said component is to attach the component tightly to the skin of the patient, so that the fluid-borne transport of bacteria between the skin and the adhesive coating is prevented, and to attach the component securely to the skin, so that the medical device, such as a wound dressing or an ostomy bag, remains in place during all the normal loadings to which it is subjected. Currently used adhesives for such components attach well to dry skin but have a tendency to unstuck on moist skin. It is therefore a problem to secure wound dressings or other medical devices to moist areas on the skin of the human body, such as the armpits, the groin and sacrum. If the skin is damaged the moist level will increase thereby increasing the risk for the wound dressing or other medical device to unstuck.
A way of solving the problem with moist skin is to use adhesives attaching such components very hard to the skin. However, such adhesives often attach themselves to the skin so strongly that parts of the Stratum Corneum, that is to say the uppermost layer of the skin, become stuck to the adhesive and are pulled away from the skin when the film dressing is loosened. This can lead to irritation of and damage to the skin.
A first objective of the invention is to improve a component of the kind stated in the introductory paragraph of the description so that the force with which it is attached to the skin of a user can be increased if desired. A further object is that the adhesive used on such components should permit removal of the above mentioned component without causing damage to the skin or pain to the patient.